Narrative:

Level flight 220 from gve to ott. Dca center gives descent to cross jaybo intersection at 15000. Captain reads clearance and goes off frequency to listen to phl ATIS. Clearance to cross jaybo was issued just prior to ott VOR. Inbound to ott is 068 degree and outbound is 085, a 17 degree change. I was flying and when altitude alerter was set on 15000 ft and confirmed by both crew members, out of the corner of my eye I noticed that the fuel gauges were about 2000 pounds off. The right gauge about 1200 pounds and the left one about 3500 pounds. While observing the imbal I was still descending and figuring the rate of descent to make the restriction at jaybo. I checked to make sure no xfeed problem, and checked the imbal still present. At that time I thought I had a fuel leak. Additionally, I had forgotten to turn the 17 degree for the outbound from ott. It took about 1-1.5 mins to notice that I had become preoccupied with the descent and the fuel imbal and had forgotten to turn. While in the turn, center called and wanted to confirm we were in the turn. He had us stop our descent and had another aircraft stop climb to ensure separation. In the meantime, the fuel gauges went back to equal quantities. We called the center, they said no problem that separation had not been lost. If I could do it all over again, I should have alerted the captain right away and let him solve the problem rather than me trying to do it all. I tried to do it all, and just got saturated resulting in forgetting to change course, while descending and solve a problem. (Center told us we were 10 mi off course.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK POS DEV DURING DSCNT IN STAR ARR TFC.

Narrative: LEVEL FLT 220 FROM GVE TO OTT. DCA CENTER GIVES DSCNT TO CROSS JAYBO INTXN AT 15000. CAPT READS CLRNC AND GOES OFF FREQ TO LISTEN TO PHL ATIS. CLRNC TO CROSS JAYBO WAS ISSUED JUST PRIOR TO OTT VOR. INBOUND TO OTT IS 068 DEG AND OUTBOUND IS 085, A 17 DEG CHANGE. I WAS FLYING AND WHEN ALT ALERTER WAS SET ON 15000 FT AND CONFIRMED BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS, OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGES WERE ABOUT 2000 POUNDS OFF. THE R GAUGE ABOUT 1200 POUNDS AND THE L ONE ABOUT 3500 POUNDS. WHILE OBSERVING THE IMBAL I WAS STILL DSNDING AND FIGURING THE RATE OF DSCNT TO MAKE THE RESTRICTION AT JAYBO. I CHKED TO MAKE SURE NO XFEED PROBLEM, AND CHKED THE IMBAL STILL PRESENT. AT THAT TIME I THOUGHT I HAD A FUEL LEAK. ADDITIONALLY, I HAD FORGOTTEN TO TURN THE 17 DEG FOR THE OUTBOUND FROM OTT. IT TOOK ABOUT 1-1.5 MINS TO NOTICE THAT I HAD BECOME PREOCCUPIED WITH THE DSCNT AND THE FUEL IMBAL AND HAD FORGOTTEN TO TURN. WHILE IN THE TURN, CENTER CALLED AND WANTED TO CONFIRM WE WERE IN THE TURN. HE HAD US STOP OUR DSCNT AND HAD ANOTHER ACFT STOP CLB TO ENSURE SEPARATION. IN THE MEANTIME, THE FUEL GAUGES WENT BACK TO EQUAL QUANTITIES. WE CALLED THE CENTER, THEY SAID NO PROBLEM THAT SEPARATION HAD NOT BEEN LOST. IF I COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, I SHOULD HAVE ALERTED THE CAPT RIGHT AWAY AND LET HIM SOLVE THE PROBLEM RATHER THAN ME TRYING TO DO IT ALL. I TRIED TO DO IT ALL, AND JUST GOT SATURATED RESULTING IN FORGETTING TO CHANGE COURSE, WHILE DSNDING AND SOLVE A PROBLEM. (CENTER TOLD US WE WERE 10 MI OFF COURSE.)

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.